HOLLYWOOD SİNEMASINDA KOLEKTİF HAFIZANIN OLUŞTURULMASI: THE ALAMO FİLMİNİN İNCELENMESİ

Kolektif hafıza son zamanlarda sosyal bilimler açısından önemli bir terim haline gelmiştir. Bu terimi ilk ortaya atan isim Maurice Halbwachs'dır. Halbwachs terimi "bir grubun üyeleri tarafından paylaşılan ve hem o grubun kimliğini belirleyen hem de grup üyeleri arasında birliği sağlayan ortak tarih algısı" (Halbwachs, 1992: 81) olarak tanımlar ve bir bireyin kişisel hafızası ve bir toplumun kolektif hafızası üzerindeki toplumsal etkiye vurgu yapar. Bireyin hafızası topluma bağlı olarak ve toplum içerisinde ortaya çıkar, bu yüzden herkes hatırlamak için başkalarına ihtiyaç duyar. Kolektif hafıza olmadan bireysel hafıza da olmaz. Kolektif hafıza grup kimliğinin ve birliğinin oluşmasına yardımcı olur. Bir milletin ortak tarihiyle ilgili kolektif hafıza oluşturulduğunda, milliyetçilik duyguları güçlenir. Bu çalışmanın amacı bir toplumdaki kolektif hafızanın önemini ve Amerikan toplumunda kolektif hafızanın oluşmasında Hollywood sinemasının rolünü ele almaktır. Hollywood sinemasının özellikle 11 Eylül saldırılarından beri Amerikan milliyetçiliğini besleyerek bir kolektif hafıza oluşturduğundan söz edilecektir. 11 Eylül saldırılarından sonra Amerikan halkına şanlı tarihlerini hatırlatmak ve kolektif bir hafıza oluşturmak için çekilen The Alamo filmi detaylı bir şekilde incelenecektir. The Alamo filminde Amerikan halkını ve ordusunu yücelten pek çok imge vardır. Amerikan askerlerinin cesaretlerine ve vatanseverliklerine şahit olduğumuz bu filmde her Amerikalının ülkesi söz konusu olduğunda bütün dünyaya meydan okuyabilecek kadar cesur ve yetenekli olduğuna şahit oluruz. Ayrıca bu film Amerikan halkına ülkeleri için gerektiğinde savaşmazlarsa yok olacaklarına dair bir uyarı niteliği de taşımaktadır

THE CONSTRUCTION OF COLLECTIVE MEMORY IN HOLLYWOOD MOVIES: REVIEW OF THE ALAMO

Collective memory has been a great issue of interest and played an important role in politics, society and literature. Maurice Halbwachs coined the term collective memory and defined it as a sense of common history shared by the members of a group that define its identity and promote its unity (Halbwachs, 1992: 81). He emphasizes the power of social influence on people's personal memories and on a community's collective memories of the past. We remember our past in a group context; therefore, everyone needs other people to remember. Without the framework of collective memory, individual memory cannot exist. Having a collective memory helps define group identity and unity. When a collective memory is created around the shared history of the people in a nation, the feelings of nationalism and the identity of the group strengthens. Mass media is perhaps the most important means of construction for national identity and collective consciousness. Since we do not actually know the exact realities and details about past events, they are transformed into constructed memory by mass media. In this study, I take a closer look at the importance of collective memory in society and the role of Hollywood cinema in constructing a collective memory in American society. I will argue that Hollywood cinema functions to construct collective memory in its depictions of a strong American nationalism, infusing the American people with enthusiasm to defend their country when it is necessary, especially since 9/11 attacks. The film The Alamo which was produced after 9/11 attacks in order to remind the American people of their glorious past to construct a collective memory will be analyzed in details. In The Alamo there are many aspects and images that glorify the American people and army. We witness the bravery and patriotism of American soldiers literal and figurative and how they sacrifice their lives for the sake of their nations. In this movie there is the message that every American is courageous and talented enough to challenge the whole world. Even a very small group of people can resist a huge army. This movie also contains a warning for the American people

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